In network management, two entities interacting with each other play two roles namely a manager and an agent. The manager is in charge of sending a management command and receiving a notice sent by the agent. The agent is in charge of receiving the management command sent by the manager, performing management configuration on a managed object according to the management command, and returning an operation response to the manager when an operation refers to an acknowledgement operation.
In telecommunication network management, a Network Management System (NMS) at an operator side serves as a manager, an Element Management System (EMS) serves as an agent, and network management interfaces between the NMS and EMS are northbound interfaces.
A northbound Corba interface is one of the northbound interfaces. A Corba describes an interface by means of an Interface Description Language (IDL), an operator describes a complete set of management commands to be written into IDL files, specific implementation of management operation on the interface in the IDL is completed by a telecommunication service provider, and when the NMS sends the management command to the EMS via the northbound Corba interface according to the IDL files, the EMS completes the management operation and returns an operation response.
Different operators have their own specific management commands. Thus, different telecommunication service providers define respective northbound Corba interface specifications. As requirements of the operators for unification degree of comprehensive network management are increasing, information demands of the operators for the northbound Corba interface of the EMS are increasing in terms of both type and quantity, operation instructions will synchronously change, and therefore an identical operator has multiple sets of northbound Corba interface specifications.
The northbound Corba interface specifications of different telecommunication operators or multiple sets of northbound Corba interface specifications of the identical telecommunication operator can achieve different management functions due to different management commands. Thus, whether a set of EMS can support multiple sets of northbound Corba interface specifications and can implement seamless and smooth switching between multiple sets of specifications becomes an important index to measure the adaptability and reliability of the EMS.
A main disadvantage of the current switching operation on the northbound Corba interface specifications is that it is necessary to interrupt an EMS service. The traditional specification switching operation includes the steps as follows.
Step A: If the EMS is stopped, all EMS services will be ended.
Step B: Configuration files associated with original northbound Corba specifications are replaced with configuration files of new specifications.
Step C: The EMS is restarted, relevant parameters in the configuration files of the new Corba specifications are loaded, and after starting is completed, switching between the northbound Corba specifications is completed.
It is necessary to stop and restart the complete set of EMS to switch the traditional specifications, time consumption is high, relevant telecommunication services of the operators are interrupted, and a certain influence will be brought to the operators. Moreover, the switching operation needs a cooperation of professionals for the EMS. Thus, by means of the traditional method, efficiency is low, and service continuity and usability are relatively low.